It is all of Grace

 

Last published on Aug 25, 2011.. Whaat?????

Haha..  Writer's block for two years.. 
Many things had happened in these past two years..
Fell in love, broken-hearted, sickness, new job, new life, new place, new friends, new church.. and so on..
To wrap it all.. I can say it in a word.. GRACE..
Yeah.. that's right.. Grace.. waiit.. that's not a name of a girl.. (well actually it is a name of a friend) but anyways.. what I meant by Grace is God's Grace..
For these past two years, I can see how God's grace abounds upon me.. 
I've been to the deepest and darkest pit.. I've done the worst that I thought I’ll ever be able to forgive myself.. 
When I was in the middle of this darkest moment of my life, I thought I would never be loved and accepted anymore.. I thought that was the life I have to live in, suck it up and die.. But then guess what.. all these negativities can't stand a chance before the love of God..
In my childhood (ah.. good ol'days..)  I always knew that God is good and He died for me.. But to know that now after all these transgressions is opening  a totally different perspective..
Different?! How ?! 

Let me elaborate it..
God is good.. Indeed.. He is good all the time.. but I also can say the same thing about my landlady, my co-worker or the random people I met.. 
God is good.. Yes He is.. How good ?
The goodness of God is everlasting.. His love for us is soo amazing that our tiny little brain can never understand.. 

I, myself could never comprehend the love that He has for me..
I knew God love me, but when I did/do something wrong, these wrong doings would deduct the love He has for me.. au contraire, if I do nice things, being a good girl, than God will love me more, and He'll bless me more.. I WAS WRONG!!!
Because there's nothing, nothing, in this whole wide world can change God's love..
Nothing can come between me and God.. Nothing can separate me from His love.. 
There's no sin that so worst and can't be paid by His blood..
I can do the most heinous crime and that won't change the reality that God ALREADY paid the price. It ALREADY done. It ALREADY happened. We're not talking about the future, like when I sin and repent then God is gonna pay me with His blood and set me free. Nope. He ALREADY paid it. His blood ALREADY shed. IT IS DONE.

So you see, there's nothing you can do "to help" Him. We just need to accept it and live to love. I can say that I don't deserve this love. I have been so many times reject Him, push Him away, but He just keep coming and hold me. I have none in me that makes me deserved all His salvation. But, that's the point. GRACE. It is all of Grace.

That's how big is His love for us. 
And that love is stay the same. Unchanging. Unshakeable. 

What Are We Letting In?

During my blogwalking this morning, I've found an article articulated some thoughts I have in mind these two days..So, rather than write a new post, I thought I'll link to Heather Paulsen's writing on her emotional purity blog..

We made it

It's been a very long week. I spent of my days out of town and got really overwhelmed with my works..talking about frustrated, I'm grateful and actually, a little bit wondering how on earth I can keep the sanity of mine in the midst of all crazy events this week..*sigh*

So..now, it's weekend and it's 'Me' time..

I ate too much rice at breakfast and after all the fullness *big grin*, I've decided to read some of my fave blog.. I came across a thought about purity.. The topic is needed to be elaborate since there have been so many occasions when I have encountered young men and women who are in struggle with this issue. Some of my closest girlfriends have the same concern about purity and in the past, in our kiddult, we often talk about this..We choose to be different and to be totally freaks just to keep the innocent and purity. We draw the lines of self controlled and self obedience to God in a very young age.. We were constantly prayed each other about our stormy teenage years.. We took care each other back.. And it's so amazing that today we can say that we survived through those rough years.. We finally made it. Girls, how I miss y'all.. I miss those days when we running through the rain.. I miss y'all held my hand, cried with me, and laugh with me in my ups and downs.. Gosh, really miss the good old days..

Sometimes, we're all make mistakes and I still remember the favourite phrase we said each other that ‘You’re facing a choice. If you are truly a follower of Jesus Christ, then you must choose Jesus and you must turn your back on every self-centered and unbiblical attitudes'.

Thanks for always be there, gals..

Ouwh, I'm so excited today because one of my very best girlfriend who expecting baby is coming home..She's planning to give birth my dearest nephew in our hometown..This my very closest friend that I also called as my own sister is the prove that we made it. She made it. She married her husband after the purest love story ever (It's bias, I know). At their time of engagement, they lived in two different towns.. A lot of prayers and tears became the normal theme for their love.. I was witnessing their hard long distance relationship but truly dedicated to each other. It all happen purely not only because their love to each other but of their love of God.. And after loads of phone bills and insomnia, they married in our hometown. The wife told me that till now they're expecting baby, they're love is not the same as the first time they've met but it continually grow bigger and bigger each single day.. God is the first priority in their life since the age of singleness and also in their phase as a family.. Hope all the best for them, and baby nephew, hugs and kisses for you, son..

Dear Boy

This next letter is for boys. It also copied from facebook. Thought it'll mean something for all the boys out there..

"Dear Boy,

I’m not sure how to say this, or even how much I should say. But I’ve been thinking about something a lot lately, and how it will affect us when we meet, as we fall in love, and when we join together in marriage.

What I want to talk about is your purity. Odd, isn’t it, that a random girl would bring this up? But I think as I explain you’ll see why and I pray that you’ll understand how important it is to me. Especially because someday I won’t be just a “random girl” but your wife.

Did you know that I think about how you’ll someday look at me? I can imagine the way your eyes will light up and I can almost hear you tell me how beautiful I am. I get butterflies when I think of your smile as I walk into the room. I know I’m not the most beautiful girl in the world, but I have to admit, thinking that maybe you will think I am…I can hardly believe I’d ever be that blessed.

But then, another thought comes into my mind. What if you don’t think I’m the most beautiful? What if you’ve already seen a different definition of “beauty”? What if I can’t satisfy you just as I am?

What if you’re addicted to pornography?

That thought makes me catch my breath. My heart even tightens some with fear. I may not look at pornographic material, but I know I don’t look like those women. I think all females hate being compared to another woman, but when it comes to this…

I don’t think you know how desperately I want you to love me. And to love the way I look. When you look at me and smile…I want you to think of me. When you kiss me for the first time…I want that to be the memory you hold on to, the picture you pull up in your mind when you’re working or driving.

And I want you to treasure my purity, my innocence. I’m saving not only my body for you…but my mind and my heart as well.

And it’s hard. When you look around, I know you see the girls who are wearing too little clothing. I’m not in that group. Would you believe it’s difficult to even find clothes that are modest? But I work hard to stay modest with the way I dress and the way I act. I want to protect you and all of your friends. I don’t want anyone else to think of me in a way that should only be for my husband.

For you. Someday.

I know this is asking a lot of you. Men are so different from women, and I don’t really understand your struggle with keeping your mind pure, with the battle that comes with guarding your eyes. And I know that no one is perfect. I’m sure you’ll make mistakes. I just want you to try. If you love me…

Please hear me. Please guard your eyes. Please save yourself. Your body, your mind, your heart. For me.

Yours Truly,
Girl"

Dear Girl...

I read this article on facebook few days ago. I think it's great to copy, paste and post the article here..

"Dear Girl,

There’s something that’s been bothering me. Every time I think of it, I want to say something, but it never seems to come out. So, I thought I’d write you a letter.

You may not know me yet. I may not even know you yet. But someday, you’ll be my wife. I want to be able to share everything with you. My dreams, my work, my heart. And I want my heart to be whole, to give you all of it. I want my mind pure, so that I can truly delight in your beauty.

But I’m afraid that I have to fight to do that. Everywhere, pictures and movies and music, all pull my mind and my heart towards impure thoughts and desires. If I give in and stop fighting, I know I’ll become a prisoner of the very thing I’m struggling against. I know you don’t understand this. And you don’t have to understand it all. I don’t want you
to understand all of it, because that means you would have the same struggles I have.

But I need you to help me.

I need you to be careful in how you dress. And how you move. The girls who wear really short skirts, or really tight shirts, they definitely get attention from guys. But trust me, it’s not the attention you want. I know. To be blunt…they aren’t admiring those girls’ beauty or “cuteness.” It’s purely sexual lust.

Then the guys like me, who don’t want to think like that, have to look away. Maybe even ignore those girls. I don’t want to see that much of any
woman. Because I want to someday see only you, as my wife.

I have another blunt thing to say. Besides not wanting to see other girls’ bodies…I don’t want another man to see yours. Ever. Yes, that’s kind of possessive. But it’s also protection. I want to guard you from the guys who would want to take advantage of you. I know you don’t want men to think of you in an impure way. It's degrading to you.

Can you see how important this is to me?
This isn’t just a “you know, if you have time or think about it” deal. This is
serious to me. This is the life or death of my purity. I love you and want to
save myself for you. Modesty is a tool you can strengthen me with, even protect me with. Immodesty is a weapon that cuts me down.

In this area, I’m at your mercy.

If you love me…please. Hear me. For your sake…for my sake.

Yours Truly,
Boy"

This One's For the Girls

This is for all you girls about 13

high school can be so rough,

can be so mean

Hold on to, on to your innocence

Stand your ground

when everybody’s givin’ in

This one’s for the girls

This is for all you girls about 25

In little apartments, just tryin’ to get by

Livin’ on, on dreams and spaghettios

Wonderin’ where your life is gonna go

This one’s for the girls

Who’ve ever had a broken heart

Who’ve wished upon a shooting star

You’re beautiful the way you are

This one’s for the girls

This one’s for all you girls about 42

Tossin’ pennies into the fountain of youth

Every laugh, laugh line on your face

Made you who you are today

This one’s for the girls

Who’ve ever had a broken heart

Who’ve wished upon a shooting star

You’re beautiful the way you are

This one’s for the girls

Who love without holdin’ back

Who dream with everything they have

All around the world

This one’s for the girls

We’re all the same inside from 1 to 99

This one’s for the girls

This song sung by Cadia, a duet of two beautiful young girls. I fall for the lyrics of the song. It actually well said. The theme it brought is so familiar with us, girls or woman or ladies or grannies (hahaha), is all about the beauty from heart, about all the lessons life given, about dreams, hopes, madness, (randomness, if I may) that in the process fashioned us to be what we are now. It say that whatever ever happen in our life, whatever the colour we choose to beautify the rainbow, it doesn't matter, we are all beautiful the way we are. One thing that I always put in my mind since I don't remember when is that God created me in special kind of way, unique, each one of us, God pour down all His creativities to build the most beautiful creature called..(drum, please) WOMAN.. His gentleness and sentivity are special made for us.. Precious we are, and He love us.. It's not a poem, but it's real.. It might seems too idealistic, unrealistic..But, hey girl, this one's for the girls.. God love us because He made us perfectly in His eyes, let be no one ever said anything less than that.. Girls, you are beautiful..

Be grateful with how we looks like, thankful the colours of our skin, joyful for the shape of our body, and realize that the true beauty is come from your heart.. it all can adds up the shine on your eyes (Uhm..okay, it might not literally, but you know what I mean)..

The verses said

"What matters is not your outer appearance--the styling of your hair, the
jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes--but your inner disposition. Cultivate
inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in (1 Peter 3 :
13-14)",

so if it said the outer isn't matter it doesn't mean that we would neglect our physical appearance.. it's okay to take times for your hair treatment or facial or anything elses but it would be so poor if we're making those things as our top priorities and put the less of our time and energy to do the important things such as doing what God wants in our life, or doing good to other people who in needs.. Girls, there're so many things happen around and those things cry out for our beauty of heart.. Be graceful and be blessed.. This one's for the girls..